Local lockdown for second Welsh country due to Covid-19 case surge

A SECOND country in Wales is going into a local lockdown following a surge in new Covid-19 cases, Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced on Wednesday.

Gething said the measures will come into force in Rhondda Cynon Taf on Thursday September 17 at 6pm.

The county’s 240,000 residents will not be allowed to go in or out of the area without good reason. Justified excuses include travelling to work if unable to work at home, getting to school, going to medical appointments, shopping for food and essentials, meeting a legal obligation or to access public services.

Cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs will have to shut at 11pm.

Meeting others from extended households indoors will not be allowed.

It will be possible to drive through the county, but not to stop there.

The Welsh government’s decision to impose tighter restrictions in Rhondda Cynon Taf comes as the county’s infection rate for the last week rose to 82.1 for every 100,000 inhabitants. This compares with an average of 21.4 per 100,000 for Wales as a whole.

“We need to introduce local restrictions in the area to control and ultimately to reduce the spread of the virus and protect people’s health,” Gething said at a press briefing earlier today.

Similar restrictions to those for Rhondda Cynon Taf were introduced in Caerphilly a week ago where the virus new case rate went up to 83.4 per 100,000 for the previous seven days.

The Rhondda Cynon Taf lockdown follows the detection of two important clusters in the county.

One is reportedly a rugby club and pub in the lower Rhondda. The authorities traced a second cluster back to a club trip to the Doncaster races, which included several pitstops at pubs.

The authorities will review the measures in a fortnight.

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